The One Where Sebastian and Hunter are Soulmates
by alishatorn
Summary: Huntbastian with a side of Niff. Humor. Romance. Alpha/Omega AU, though otherwise canon. Sebastian Smythe doesn't believe in love; Hunter proves him wrong.
1. Chapter 1

PROLOGUE.

Sebastian Smythe didn't believe in love.

He didn't believe in soulmates and he didn't believe in forever, and he thought that the whole pair-bond thing was a load of bullshit. Oh, he'd been identified just like the rest of his peers when he hit puberty, (he was an _Omega_, go figure) but unlike everyone else, he wasn't interested in finding his destined mate at _all_.

Bonded pairs often spoke of feeling a strange sort of _pull_ when their mate was near, and his peers often talked excitedly about feeling the first stirrings of it. (It almost always turned out to be a run-of-the-mill crush and/or indigestion, but there you go.)

Sebastian's parents, in turn, had spoken very fondly of their first meeting, as Sebastian's father had been a young attorney and his mother had been the shopkeeper who'd sold him his first designer suit.

"Of all the shops in Paris I could have gone in," Mr. Smythe often said. "It had to be hers. Follow your heart, Sebastian. Follow the _pull._"

It was only natural, then, that Sebastian did the exact opposite.

When his gut told him to turn right, he turned left. When he sensed that he should stay in Ohio for Christmas, he begged his mother to let him spend time with her sister in Paris.

Deep inside, Sebastian knew that meeting his bondmate was inevitable, and he tried to postpone it for as long as he could. Times were changing and people rarely waited to find their bond mates before becoming sexually active. Oh, there were some who met early—Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling had identified each other in their freshman year—but Sebastian was having far too much fun just as he was.

If he was going to be stuck with someone for the rest of his life, he was going to make damned sure that he had his fun before then. As far as Sebastian was concerned, if he never ended up meeting his bondmate, he'd be perfectly fine with that, too.

"I just don't see the point of it all," Sebastian said, crossing his arms over his chest. It was the first day of his senior year at Dalton, and he had wasted no time in bemoaning his plight to his friends. "Where does it say that we have to be stuck with our bondmates _forever_? It's _ridiculous_."

"It's not ridiculous," Jeffrey mumbled. (He was currently attached at the mouth to Nick.) "It's wonderful."

Nick nodded in agreement, cracking open one eye to glance at Sebastian. "You'll understand when you meet your mate," he said. "You won't want to be away from them. Ever."

Sebastian mimed throwing up. "Please," he said. "That's never going to happen to me."

Fortunately, Jeff and Nick were saved from the arduous task of educating Smythe when Trent walked in, summoning Sebastian to the headmaster's office. "He says it's about the Warblers," Trent said, and Sebastian threw a paper clip at Jeff as he got up.

"Later," Nick smirked, and went right back to kissing Sterling.

Sebastian felt a small twinge in the vicinity of his chest as he followed Trent down the hallway, and he absently smoothed down his necktie. It was probably the shot of courvoisier that he'd had with his coffee this morning. No biggie.

Trent left him at the door as the headmaster's secretary waved him inside. "Ah, Mr. Smythe. Have a seat."

Sebastian sat. "How may I help you, headmaster?" he asked politely. The twinge in his chest had now grown into a comfortable warmth, and his cheeks were stained red. Sebastian wondered if the heating in the office was broken.

The headmaster raised a brow. "Mr. Smythe, I'm afraid that I have some bad news," he said. "Due to the events of last year's competition season, I cannot condone your continued leadership of the Dalton Academy Warblers. They are one of the school's finest traditions, and while I believe that you are sincere in your reform, there are many others who are not so quick to forgive."

Well. That wasn't really a surprise. "So we're going back to a council?" Sebastian asked, brow furrowing.

"The board has actually ruled in favor of bringing someone in from the outside," the headmaster replied. "I asked Mr. Harwood to bring him down, so he should be by…"

There was a sharp rap on the door, and Sebastian broke out in a sweat. "Ah, there he is."

"Mr. Smythe, this is Hunter Clarington, the new Captain of the Warblers," the headmaster continued, smiling as the door swung open. "He's been brought in from a military academy in Colorado Springs. I trust that you'll get along swimmingly."

Sebastian turned around as steps echoed inside the room, and he felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. What started out as a curious tingling sensation had now spread to his entire body, and as he met Hunter Clarington's eyes for the first time, all the blood drained from his face.

"Charmed."

His voice was low and silky and perfectly-pitched, and hearing it made Sebastian's world grind to a sudden and painful _halt_.

"You!" That was as far as Sebastian got, as he promptly pitched forward and fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. Thank you for reading, everyone!)

. . .

ONE.

"This _can't_ be right. I'm not a- I mean, there's nothing _wrong_ with being one, but I'm really _not_ attracted to men. In that way. At all. There's got to be a mistake; I'm not even remotely bi-curious!"

Sebastian awoke to the sound of furious whispering, and he raised a hand to his pounding head. So it wasn't a bad dream, after all. Fucking _wonderful_.

He forced himself to sit up, looking around. He was clearly in the infirmary and by the sound of it, Hunter wasn't far away. He got up, grabbing his blazer from where it was draped on the back of a chair, and padded quietly out from behind the screen.

"So you're the guy I'm stuck with for the rest of my life?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow as Hunter and the doctor froze in mid-argument, studying his bondmate openly. Hunter was good looking enough, with nice blue eyes and light brown hair, and Smythe supposed that he could have done worse.

Hunter got up stiffly, walking over to him and extending a hand. "Hunter Clarington," he said. "Pleased to meet you."

Sebastian's lip twisted as he took the offered hand, but he snatched it away almost immediately. The vague tingle in his chest had bloomed hotly at the contact, and his hand _burned_ where they'd touched.

"…is that going to happen all the time?" Sebastian managed, clutching his hand to his chest. Hunter looked no less affected; the color was high in his cheeks and his pupils were dilated.

"The sensations will dull in time," the doctor said, making a note on his clipboard. "But for now, you'll need time to adjust to each other while you become accustomed to the type of contact you'll be sharing."

Sebastian didn't miss the way Hunter's eyes narrowed. "And what type of contact would that be?" he asked.

"The intimate kind," the doctor said bluntly. "I realize that this may be difficult for you, Mr. Clarington, but try to remember that preconceived notions of sexuality have no place in pair-bonding. While it's true that there is a higher percentage of opposite-sex bonds, same-sex bonds are no less important, nor are they something to be ashamed of."

He scribbled down a few more things in his chart, the glanced at the both of them. "The standard recommended absence is to take one week off while you adjust," the doctor continued. "It's fortunate that you identified each other early on; it will give you time to catch up with your schoolwork later in the semester."

"Adjust to what?" Sebastian asked, running a hand through his hair. "Why do we have to miss school?"

The doctor harrumphed. "I see that someone has been skipping his health class," he said, walking over to his desk and pulling out a couple of pamphlets. "I believe you'll need to read these to familiarize yourself with what you'll be experiencing in the next few days."

Sebastian's pamphlet read 'Congratulations, you found your Alpha!", while Hunter's said 'Congratulations, you've found your Omega!". There was a crude drawing of a couple kissing and hearts all around them.

Sebastian flipped to the first page, where there were various recommended sexual positions for the couple's first heat. The first drawing depicted a man and a woman, and the woman was arching her back in a manner that could only be described as feline. They were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes whilst coupling.

Hunter made a gagging noise upon opening his own pamphlet, and Sebastian himself felt vaguely nauseous. "I… I think I need to lie down, again," he muttered, sagging against a nearby desk.

"Very well," said the doctor. "Mr. Clarington, if you will assist him to your room?"

Hunter turned quite red. "Already?" he asked. Unlike Sebastian, he had actually paid attention during the mandatory Alpha/Omega briefings and he knew what to expect. Still, it had all been academic in the past, and he'd never imagined that it would move so quickly once the process began. Hunter was, after all, a rather old-fashioned young man.

The doctor raised a brow. "You are both above the age of consent," he replied. "Keeping you apart would be pointless at this stage, and would only serve as a needless distraction. The sooner you get Mr. Smythe's initial heat over with, the sooner you can return to classes."

It was hard to miss the sudden, queasy look that crossed Hunter's handsome features, and it stung a lot more than Sebastian would care to admit.

"Wow," he said. "Okay. I'm actually… feeling _much_ better now, so I think I'm just going to just go. To my own room. Thanks, doc."

He turned and staggered out of the infirmary, trying to put as much distance between himself and Hunter as he could.

Maybe he'd been wrong about the pair-bond thing being bullshit, but now more than ever, he was certain that it had nothing at _all_ to do with love.

. . .

Hunter wasn't very happy to find out that his bondmate had turned out to be another guy, and he was even less happy to find out that it was Sebastian Smythe, the Captain that he'd been brought in to replace.

Still, Clarington men were not in the habit of shirking their responsibilities, and while he wasn't pleased about his situation, he really wasn't about to leave his bondmate hanging. He was nervous about the heat thing, obviously, (who wouldn't be?), and the fact that Sebastian was a guy was really throwing him off, but duty was duty, and Hunter would suck it up because he had to.

After apologizing to the doctor for his bondmate's abrupt departure, he went after Smythe and grabbed his arm, trying to keep him from falling over. This resulted in yet another surge of electricity between them, and Sebastian furiously hissing "_Don't touch me!_".

Hunter backed off immediately, raising his hands. "Sorry," he said, standing as far away from Sebastian as the hallway would let him. "I was just trying to help."

"You can help by staying the _fuck_ away from me," Sebastian said, moving forward again. "I'm perfectly fine on my own, so you can take your homophobia and get _lost_."

_That_ brought Hunter up short. "Smythe, I didn't mean—" he began, but Sebastian waved him off.

"Save it," he said shortly. "Look, you're not gay, I get it. And I'm not particularly happy with this whole Alpha/Omega thing either, okay? I've been around the block and then some—I've got no illusions about any of this."

Hunter frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"I say screw the system," Sebastian said evenly. "I don't want to be your Omega any more than you want to be my Alpha. We should be able to dictate our own fates, right?"

He looked Hunter straight in the eye. "When you get down to it, our reaction to each other is simple chemistry. Like pheromones, but on a deeper level," he continued. "It's science, plain and simple, and I'm sure that we can control our baser desires and just… _decide_ not to be bonded."

"Decide not to be bonded?" Hunter echoed, blinking. "I'm not sure I follow."

Smythe blew air impatiently from his lips. "I'm going to go into heat _very_ soon, and I'm going to take care of it _without you_," he said. "What you do on your own is your business, Clarington, but may I suggest trying Crawford Country Day for willing participants of the female persuasion?"

Hunter was still looking hopelessly confused, so Sebastian barreled on. "We have a week to get this out of our systems, after which we should be ready to go back to school with no one being the wiser," he said. "_Nod_ if you understand what I'm saying."

Hunter nodded dumbly, and Sebastian felt a burst of satisfaction. It gave him enough of an adrenaline boost to walk the rest of the way down the hall without falling over, and as he pushed open the door, he glanced at Clarington over his shoulder.

"See you in a week."


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. Thank you for reading, everyone!)

. . .

**TWO. **

Sebastian was entirely unprepared for how badly his first heat hit him, and he was barely able to get himself out of Dalton and checked into a hotel room before he was shivering violently in a barely-controlled haze of lust.

He was amazed that he even made it to Scandals at all, but once there, it wasn't hard to find a man willing to play. He bypassed the drinks and the flirting, picked out the hottest guy in the bar and sidled up to him.

"Want to fuck?" Sebastian whispered, breath tickling against the stranger's ear. His skin felt hot, feverish, and every time he closed his eyes he could only see Hunter. It bothered him _immensely_.

Thankfully, the guy turned out to be a pro. He didn't even respond, just hooked his fingers into Sebastian's belt loops and pulled him to the backroom. He was cute enough that Smythe was almost willing to get on his knees for him, but the guy just smirked and turned him around, palming him roughly before spreading his legs.

The fuck was rough and fast, just the way Sebastian liked it. The guy wasn't even half done when he wrung an orgasm out of Smythe, and he laughed hotly in his ear. "Your alpha not taking care of you?" he asked, as Sebastian fought to catch his breath.

"Don't have one," Sebastian gasped, forcing himself to keep his eyes open, trying not to see Hunter fucking Clarington's face in his mind's eye. It didn't help. His traitorous brain happily supplied him with images of what Hunter might look like if he was fucking Sebastian, of how his face would _change_ while twisted with pleasure.

Sebastian was already half-hard again by the time the guy finished, and the man smirked, dropping his condom in the trash.

"Could've fooled me," he said, eyes raking over Sebastian's erection.

The insides of Smythe's thighs were wet with lube, and he shook his head. "I don't," he insisted, trying to clean himself off with a handful of tissues. His cock still was throbbing against his stomach, and the man raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well. I've got to go, otherwise I'd help you with that," he said. "But maybe I'll see you around again."

He tucked his number into the pocket of Sebastian's shirt and left.

"Damn it," Sebastian hissed softly. Unable to help himself, he shut his eyes and wrapped his fingers around his straining cock, bringing himself off to the image of Hunter and his stupid, handsome face.

. . .

Hunter sat in his empty dorm room, staring blankly at the opposite bed. It was currently empty, as he'd transferred to an empty double and Sebastian had not yet moved in (nor would he).

Clarington had been sitting alone ever since Smythe had stormed off; after he unpacked, there was nothing else left to do. He should have called Sebastian, tried to talk to him, but he didn't have his number and going to the administrator to request it did not seem like a particularly attractive option.

Hunter sighed. How had he made such a mess of things so quickly?

It was clear that Sebastian was not your run-of-the-mill Dalton boy, and while Hunter had absolutely nothing against gay people, he'd never entertained the notion of being one. His parents were heterosexual and all of his friends were, too. He couldn't deny that he sometimes thought that other men were attractive, but it was always more of a passing thought than anything concrete.

The one time he'd tried to broach the subject with his father had not ended well, and afterwards Hunter simply decided to stop talking about it. It was an unmentionable, as his mother liked to say, and Hunter was completely fine with that.

And then, of course, he met Sebastian Smythe.

He had to admit—he wouldn't have gone along with Sebastian's idiot plan so easily if he wasn't looking for an out. Health class did not cover what happened if one did not _like_ their bondmate (it was a physical, emotional and chemical bond, after all), but it did go briefly into what would happen if someone's mate died. There were programs that had been created to help the remaining partner cope with the loss, and through a mix of medication and counseling, they would be able to function almost normally once again.

However, this was also attributed in no small part to actually _knowing_ that their partner was deceased, and a bond broken through death was certainly not by choice. In fact, the popular opinion was that never having met one's bondmate was preferable to having to suffer through their death, and Hunter had never heard of anyone who had actually _rejected_ their mate.

In spite of this, however, he was somewhat relieved that Sebastian did not seem particularly attached to him. It was a long shot, he knew, but part of him- hell, a large part of him- didn't _want_ to be Sebastian's Alpha. He barely even knew the other boy, and from what he'd seen, he didn't think that they had much in common.

Aside from biology, that is.

Hunter moaned as he felt a twinge in his gut, the second time in the past hour, and he resigned himself to the fact that his first heat was, quite frankly, going to _suck_. His bondmate wanted nothing to do with him and was probably currently getting laid by half of Westerville, and Hunter was stuck with his hand. (Contrary to Sebastian's suggestion, Hunter had no intention of trolling their sister school for a quick lay. He actually preferred to get to _know_ people before having sex with them, thankyouverymuch.)

Taking himself in hand, he closed his eyes and tried to conjure images of his last girlfriend. Mary had been sweet and her smile would've made ice caps melt, but even as Hunter tried to imagine her hand wrapped around him, all he could see were Sebastian's haunting green eyes.

It was Sebastian's fingers, long and lean, that wrapped around his cock, it was Sebastian's mouth stretched in a knowing grin that kissed his, and when Hunter came, it was Sebastian's name that he bit off.

And as he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, sweat and semen cooling on his stomach, Hunter wondered what it would be like to be gay.

. . .

The week passed in much of the same manner for both of them.

Sebastian was practically a fixture in Scandals because he was there so frequently, and he even managed semi-regular hookups with the guy he'd met on his first night.

It didn't really help, none of it did, but his continuous liaisons did manage to curb his lust, at the very least. His emotions, of course, were an entirely different matter. Having never been in love before, he was unable to identify the emotion that came with being bereft of it—all he knew was that his chest ached in a way that had nothing to do with his need to couple.

The sex problem he could (and did) solve, but when he staggered back to Dalton at the end of the week, he still felt empty, like a part of himself he never knew he needed was missing. It was the unfamiliar echo of a missing limb, and it _hurt_.

Hunter, on the other hand, had stayed mostly locked up in his room. He went down to the mess after hours, taking his meals when he was certain that no one would be around. Rumors spread like wildfire at Dalton, and by now everybody knew that he and Smythe had identified each other on the first day.

What they didn't know was that Sebastian had bailed on him before they'd even spent twenty-four hours together, and Hunter had no desire to let that particular tidbit become known. As embarrassing as it was to admit that he was an Alpha who couldn't satisfy his mate, it was more embarrassing to admit that he hadn't even _tried_.

The final day of their break found Hunter in Sebastian's room, clearing out the last of his things. He'd decided to move Smythe into his room whether he liked it or not—it was policy and the doctor had already done all the paperwork. Hunter was unsure about their current arrangement, but that didn't mean that he wanted the entire student body to know what was happening, either. Hence, the forced move.

Thad, who happened to be Sebastian's roommate, had spent the entire morning helping Hunter pack everything up, and as he prepared to carry out the last of the boxes, Smythe walked in.

His skin was sallow and there were dark circles under his eyes, but Hunter thought he'd never seen anyone look so good in his entire life. Their eyes met and his heart did a small flip.

"Oh." Sebastian frowned, dropping his duffel bag to the floor. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm moving your things to _our_ room, _just like we talked about_," said Hunter, shooting a quick glance at Thad. "Harwood, could you give us a minute?"

Thad raised an eyebrow, clearly not missing Sebastian's disheveled state and the week's worth of clothing clearly stuffed in his bag. "Uh… sure," he said, nodding at Smythe. "See you around, Sebastian."

Hunter waited until he was out the door before he turned to his bondmate. "Look, I know how this looks," he began, but that was as far as he got.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sebastian burst out, staring at his side of the room in disbelief. He had gone from vaguely confused to furious in like thirty seconds flat, and Hunter was taken aback at the change. "Where the fuck did you take all of my stuff?"

"I moved it to our room," Hunter said, putting the box he was carrying down. He approached Sebastian carefully, holding up a placating hand. "The doctor already put in the paperwork and I didn't think—"

"_No, you didn't_," Sebastian interrupted furiously. He moved past Hunter, giving him a wide berth, and picked up the box that Clarington put down. "What gives you the right to just come in here and decide that I'm suddenly rooming with you? I'm not your Omega, Clarington, and even if I was, I wouldn't be your fucking _property_."

"I never said that you were!" Hunter's own voice had risen now, and the color was high in his cheeks. "I'm just trying to do some damage control, all right? What did you expect was going to happen when you left?"

Sebastian had started taking his books out of the box and shoving them back onto his desk, his movements quick and jerky. "I expected you to stick to our agreement," he hissed. "We decided we weren't going to do this, remember?"

He turned around angrily. "You _agreed_ to ignore the bond," he said, stabbing a finger into Hunter's chest. "You didn't _want_ to be my Alpha so you don't fucking—" His voice cut off abruptly as he pulled his hand back, reeling back as if he'd been slapped.

Hunter hadn't fared any better, as he'd broken out in a sweat as soon as Sebastian touched him. Even through the layer of cloth between his chest and Smythe's finger, the smallest touch was agony. Pure want broke over Hunter like a living thing, and he couldn't help himself from moving forward and reaching for Sebastian.

They both moaned when he made contact, his palms on Sebastian's shoulders eliciting the most delicious charge between them. Hunter drifted forward as if magnetized, his eyes falling on Sebastian's perfect mouth. His lips were pink and they trembled slightly as he exhaled, parting to form a single word.

"Stop."

Hunter blinked as the word broke through his lust-addled mind, and he pulled his hands off Sebastian with no small effort. He kept his eyes on his bondmate's face, at the luminous green eyes that had been haunting him all week. "Smythe, I…"

"Get out." Sebastian said. He turned his back on Hunter abruptly and laid his palms flat on his messy desk.

"But—"

"Just go," Smythe said hollowly. "I'll get the rest of my stuff tomorrow." He scraped his chair back and sat down, effectively ending the conversation.

Hunter paused at the doorway, biting his lip.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian," he said, and left.


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. Thank you so much for reading and commenting, guys. You're so inspiring! 3)

. . .

**THREE. **

By Monday, the whole school knew.

Hunter didn't miss the looks he got as he moved from class to class, and a group of what were certainly Alphas snickered loudly at him behind his back. Since he missed the first week of school, he didn't know anybody yet, and the rumors had destroyed pretty much any chance that he had to get to know anyone on his own merits.

Sebastian was suspiciously absent from the mess hall at lunch, (Hunter figured he was probably in his room moving all his stuff back), and he picked an empty corner table and put his tray down.

He opened his text book while he ate, figuring he'd try to at least catch up with the pile of homework he'd just received, when a shadow fell across him. Hunter sighed internally before looking up.

There were three large jock-types standing above him, beefy arms crossed over their chests. Hunter noticed the Lacrosse stick that one of them had strapped across his shoulder, and it didn't take much to make the connection. He'd packed Sebastian's jersey along with all of his other stuff, after all.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely, raising an eyebrow.

"We heard that you're Smythe's Alpha," the biggest one said. He was half a head taller than Hunter and half again as broad.

"And?" Hunter tensed, lifting his chin. He was well aware of Dalton's zero tolerance policy, but he was also aware that over half the kids at school had parents who gave Very Generous Donations each year. From the looks of it, this kid was one of them.

"And we heard that he fucked off out of town during your heat," the other jock piped up. "Leaving _you_ high and dry." There was scattered laughter from the surrounding tables.

"I don't see how this is any of your business," Hunter said. He scraped his chair back, the sound echoing sharply amidst the din.

"So it _is_ true," the biggest one said, a nasty grin on his face. "How awesome is _that_? Our big military transfer _identifies_ on the hottest piece of ass on campus, and he can't even get it up long enough to keep him satisfied!"

The jocks burst into derisive laughter, and now more heads swiveled in their direction. They had begun to attract quite a lot of attention.

Hunter's hands balled into fists, but he kept them firmly at his sides. He was here on scholarship and he literally had no clout to speak of. If he lost his temper, he'd be out of Dalton faster than Sebastian could say 'go'.

"Still not seeing how this is any of your business," he said through gritted teeth.

The big guy snorted. "Yeah, I was actually worried that Smythe would stop sucking me off in the locker room after practice," he said. "But I guess I had nothing to worry abo—"

"_Shut your mouth_," Hunter growled, and his hands were fisted on the lapels of the jock's blazer before he even noticed he'd moved. "If you _ever_ go near Sebastian again—"

The jock bared his teeth. "You wanna go, soldier boy?" he taunted, planting his palms on Hunter's chest and shoving him _hard_. "Then let's _go_."

Hunter staggered back, crashing into his chair. Adrenaline surged in his veins as he picked himself up, about to launch himself into a potentially career-ending fist fight, when two sets of hands grabbed his arms.

"_Woah,_ there, captain," a cheerful voice said. The cheerful voice was accompanied by an equally cheerful face, though the iron grip on Hunter's arm was clearly not kidding around. "Wouldn't want you to get expelled on your first actual day of classes, now would we?"

"Sterling," the jock spat, mouth twisting. "This is none of your business."

"It is when you mess around with our new captain, Montgomery," the other boy restraining Hunter now spoke up, glaring.

Montgomery's eyes narrowed, drawing himself up to his full height. Behind him, his teammates cracked their knuckles threateningly. "And what are you going to do, Nick? _Sing_ us to death?"

"Actually, I was thinking I'd get you expelled for defamation of character, bullying, and generally just being a douchebag." Sebastian's voice was quiet, but it carried across the hall. He stepped through the double doors and glanced at Hunter, eyes sliding off him before coming to a rest on Montgomery and his friends.

"You're bluffing," the jock said, but he paled when Smythe approached.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't be boring, Richard," he said. "Need I remind you that not only is my dad a State's attorney, but that I'm also richer than you are? Not to mention the fact that the whole school witnessed you provoking my Alpha over here, who was _understandably_ still reeling over our heat. Given his unique situation, I think the board would rule in his favor, don't you?"

He nonchalantly stepped over to Hunter's chair and righted it, then took the seat next to it. "Run along, now," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Before I make a call and get you kicked out of Dalton and straight into public school."

Jeff and Nick released Hunter's arms, and the jocks turned away. The mess started buzzing excitedly, and Sebastian shifted in his seat. "Oh, and Richard?" he called, and Montgomery stopped.

"You're off the Lacrosse team," Sebastian said. "All three of you."

"Bullshit," Montgomery snarled, but Smythe only smiled.

"Coach made me captain this year," he said. "And if I see you on the field during practice, the headmaster gets a call from my father the day after."

Montgomery's face twisted in rage, but the two others hauled him out of the mess before he could start screaming obscenities at Sebastian. Completely nonplussed, Smythe picked up the remaining half of Hunter's sandwich.

"I'm starving," he said cheerfully, waving to some of the Warblers across the hall. "And now that you've met Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling, you can say hi to the rest of the guys."

"Hey." Hunter nodded politely at the two boys, who grinned and went back to their table to retrieve their trays.

As soon as they were gone, Sebastian fixed Hunter with a look. "This doesn't change anything between us, Clarington," he said quietly. "But we're even now."

Hunter's brow furrowed. "Even? For what?"

"Please. You were stupidly trying to defend my honor, and even _I_ can appreciate that," he said. "I'll play along so you don't get inundated with shit for the rest of the year, but you and I? Aren't happening. Got that?"

Clarington nodded as Jeff and the rest of the Warblers arrived with their trays, clamoring for his attention.

"Got it," he said, as Smythe ate the rest of his sandwich.


	5. Chapter 5

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. I'm so grateful to everyone who has taken the time to comment/favourite/subscribe. You guys always make my day that much brighter. 3)

. . .

**FOUR.**

Weeks trickled by. After the incident in the mess hall, Sebastian had agreed to move into Hunter's room in order to keep up appearances. They tiptoed around each other (or at least Hunter did, as Sebastian was barely even there), and time passed at an agonizing pace.

It was torture for Hunter to be around Sebastian so much, and even the handful of hours that they spent together in the tiny room made it difficult to concentrate. At night he would lie awake and listen to Smythe breathe, synching his own with every soft exhalation.

Hunter had tried to talk to Sebastian about their bond a few times, but every time he brought it up, Smythe cut him off. It was clear to Hunter that their first heat had not been satiated in a satisfactory manner, but he had no idea if it was affecting Sebastian as well; he wouldn't tell him when he asked.

The constant need for sex had abated, but his reaction to even the slightest contact from Sebastian remained. If anything, it had actually intensified. One time, Sebastian had brushed against him accidentally on his way out the door, and they'd both had to take a ten-minute break while trying to recover from the sensation.

At this point, Hunter didn't really know how long he was going to be able to keep this up without going mad. Sebastian seemed to be coping just fine, but the more time Hunter spent with him, the more he couldn't get him out of his mind

More than once, Hunter had caught himself staring creepily as Sebastian emerged from their bathroom sans his shirt, and it was only Smythe's raised eyebrow that made him color and look away.

It also didn't help that he'd actually started getting to _know_ his erstwhile bondmate. They didn't have a lot of classes together, but Hunter ran Warblers practice like any Military school ex-student would—efficiently.

This meant practice two hours a day every day, and Sebastian rose to every occasion. He was a great dancer, a fantastic singer—whether in solos or duets or even background—and his opinions were brief but thoughtful. (Everything Hunter could want in a co-Captain, if the headmaster ever allowed him to have one.)

It seemed inescapable then, that Hunter would see that there was far more to Sebastian than met the eye. The only problem was that Sebastian didn't seem particularly interested in meeting him halfway, and any attempts that Hunter made were met with silence.

It was during a sunny Tuesday afternoon that things _finally_ changed.

They were at the tail-end of their choreography rehearsal for sectionals, and Sebastian was trying to teach a particularly complicated dance move that he'd suggested. It was supposed to go in towards the crescendo of the performance, and involved a series of mid-air pirouettes with complex hand gestures.

Practically all of the Warblers were accomplished dancers, but even they were taking a little longer than usual to master the complex move. They'd been at it for over two hours.

"Can't we finish this tomorrow?" Jeff asked, throwing Hunter a look as Sebastian corrected his stance yet again. "I'm dead on my feet, here."

"Just a little bit longer," Hunter replied, trying the move again. He landed wrong but it went smoothly otherwise, and Sebastian wandered over. "I've almost got it."

"You've just got to put your weight on your left hip," Sebastian said, reaching for Hunter's waist without thinking. His palm was blazing hot and Hunter could feel it through three layers of clothing, and they both froze at the contact. But rather than release him or dart away as he usually did, Sebastian pulled Hunter back into an embrace. They were very close to each other then, Smythe's arms impossibly tight around his waist, and the Warblers held their collective breath.

Hunter's heart was racing as he tried to look at Sebastian over his shoulder—his back was to him so he couldn't see his eyes—and he felt like he wanted to jump out of his skin.

"Wh-What are you doing?" he finally managed to get out, and Sebastian released him like a hot potato. Hunter staggered away, grabbing onto a chair to keep himself upright, and Sebastian sagged against the wall.

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said, breathing hard. His eyes met Hunter's then, and for a split-second, his mask dropped and Clarington could see… _everything_. Everything he'd been feeling the past weeks, the agony of forcing himself to keep away—it was all reflected right back in Sebastian's luminous eyes.

Hunter didn't know if he made a sound, or maybe his face was just as naked right now, but Sebastian flinched like he'd been slapped. "I'm… I've got to go."

He fled the room but this time Hunter followed, pausing only to glance at the rest of the Warblers. "Dismissed!"

And then he was gone as well, leaving everyone staring after them in disbelief.

"I take it this means that the rumors were true, after all?" Trent ventured into the silence, and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Even if they were, it doesn't look like it's going to be the case for very long," he said. "I give them a week before caving under the inevitable."

His bondmate raised an eyebrow. "Would you care to place wager on that?" Nick asked, sticking his hand in Jeff's back pocket. "I think they'll be all over each other by tonight."

Jeffrey beamed. "You're on, Nicky."

. . .

"Sebastian, wait!" Hunter had never considered Dalton a difficult place to navigate before, but apparently when one was chasing after a particularly quick-footed bondmate, the halls stretched out to an eternity.

Smythe had rushed out of the choir room and headed for the double doors leading outside, and he hadn't even slowed down when Hunter called his name.

"Damn it," Clarington swore, watching as Sebastian made for the field. He knew that he had Lacrosse practice this evening, but he wasn't going to let Smythe run away from this. They _were_ having this conversation.

It was early still and there were only a handful of team members loitering on the field, so Hunter felt perfectly justified in following Sebastian into the locker rooms. Smythe was in the middle of changing into his uniform by the time Hunter found him, and he looked up when Clarington approached.

"Look, I didn't—" Sebastian began, but Hunter cut him off with a hand on his bare chest. It made both of them moan, and this time Clarington didn't back off.

"I'm going to kiss you, now," he said, and leaned in just as Sebastian pulled him forward. When their lips met (finally, _finally_), electricity raced across his skin, heat pooling in his belly as he wrapped his arms around his mate's waist. It was like coming home for the first time, like the rush of every competition he'd ever won rolled into one sensation, and Hunter didn't know where he ended and Sebastian began.

_So this is what a first heat is supposed to feel like_, he thought dizzily, as Sebastian dug his fingers into Hunter's shoulders and kissed him so deeply that he saw stars. He didn't know how long they stood there, making out against Sebastian's locker, but they were both painfully hard and Hunter knew that he could have taken Smythe on the spot if they hadn't been interrupted by a very loud, very embarrassed cough.

He pulled away from Sebastian's mouth with great difficulty and looked up, blinking owlishly, at Sebastian's Lacrosse coach.

"Always nice to see you at practice, Mr. Clarington," the coach said, very carefully studying the ceiling. "But I'm going to have to ask you to restrain yourself to watching from the bleachers, as per usual. The locker rooms are off-limits to non-team."

"Coach…" Smythe muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. His mouth was swollen and red and he looked just like he'd just spent the past fifteen minutes making out with his Alpha. Go figure. The mere thought made Hunter's erection throb.

"It's okay," Hunter said, dragging his hands away from Sebastian's hips. "I'm… I'm going to go back to our room."

He reached for Sebastian's hand, thumbing at the pulse point while Smythe bit his lip. Electricity pulsed between them, steady and true. "I'll see you after Lacrosse practice," he promised.

He forced a smile at the coach as he walked past stiffly, eternally grateful for the blazer allowing him some small semblance of modesty.

Maybe he'd find it funny if it wasn't so frustrating, but as he glanced back and saw the small, hesitant smile that Sebastian gave him, he knew that it was totally worth it.


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. Writing this chapter broke my heart a little bit.)

. . .

**FIVE.**

Hunter closed the door to his room and leaned against it, unable to help the smile that had broken across his face. He loosened his tie and shed his blazer, draping it over the back of his chair before taking a seat. He was actually going to do this. _They were going to do this_.

In spite of himself, his eyes drifted to Sebastian's bed. Smythe hadn't made it today, and the rumpled sheets still bore the faintest impression of his body. Hunter bit his lip, moving to the narrow bed and running his hand over Sebastian's pillow fondly. _Get a grip, Clarington._

He shook himself, then sank back into his chair and cracked open a textbook. He doubted he'd get any homework done tonight—he was far too high-strung for that—but it gave him something to do while he waited an hour and a half for Sebastian to finish practice.

A sharp rap on the door startled Hunter out of his thoughts, and he looked up, smiling widely. Maybe Smythe had been able to pull some strings, after all. "You really don't have to knock, Seb—"

His words died in his throat when the door swung open. His father stood in the doorway, his imposing figure practically filling the frame. Behind him, Hunter could see his mother hovering worriedly.

"Dad," he breathed, getting to his feet. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

. . .

Sebastian got through a grand total of thirty minutes of practice before the coach pulled him off the field.

"What the hell is the matter with you, Smythe?" the coach demanded, yanking on Sebastian's helmet. "You're playing like a blind person. Did you even _try_ to make that shot?"

Sebastian winced. "Sorry, coach," he said, pulling his helmet off and running a hand through his hair. "I don't actually—I don't think my first heat's over, yet."

"For christ's sake," the coach said, throwing up his hands. "Didn't you identify over a month ago? Fucking teenagers and your overactive hormones!"

"I guess—" Sebastian paused, trying to wrack his brains for a sufficient excuse. "I guess I'm just really that awesome?" He grinned and waggled his eyebrows for effect, but he only managed to look somewhat ill.

Coach Andrews looked decidedly unimpressed. "You're lucky that you've been performing well, or I'd kick you off the team," he said. "And this isn't going to happen again, got it? One strike's all you get, Smythe."

Sebastian blinked. "I get to go?"

"You get to go _this one time_," Andrews said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you're doing double laps next week."

"O-okay," Smythe said. He wasn't about to press his luck, so he just nodded. "Will do. Thanks, coach!"

"Now get off my field," the coach said, shaking his head as he turned back to the rest of the team. "McCall, you're up!"

Sebastian ran off, not even bothering to pass by the locker rooms to get his stuff. He'd change in their dorm room, preferably after he and Hunter had gotten all sweaty again. He grinned, ducking his head as he passed by a group of freshmen.

_This was actually going to happen._ For the first time since they'd identified each other, Sebastian actually felt his heart get a little lighter. Hunter had been a constant source of distraction for him, and he'd been brushing off his every attempt to reconcile due to his own pride. He still hadn't quite forgiven him for the things he'd said to the doctor, but Sebastian knew he'd been trying to make amends.

He wasn't sure where things stood with them just yet, but he was tired of holding on to his anger. After all, he couldn't deny the strange fondness that rose in his chest whenever he could feel Hunter's eyes on him. Hell, even Clarington's stubborn insistence at watching every single Lacrosse practice made Sebastian's heart jump in the oddest of ways, and that wasn't even counting all the times Hunter actually _tried_ to talk to him.

If his mate was willing to try, then Sebastian supposed that he could, as well.

He shrugged off his Lacrosse pads as he walked up the stairs to the dorms, smiling a bit as he passed Nick.

"Sebastian, don't you have practice…?" Duval asked, brows knitting together.

"Got off early," Sebastian said. "Later, Nick."

But now Jeff was emerging from their room, trying to block Sebastian's path down the hall. "Smythe, I don't think you want to go in there right now."

Sebastian frowned, side-stepping him easily. "What's the matter with you two?" he asked. "I've got a date with my alpha and…"

And then he heard it. Raised voices—one clearly belonging to Hunter, while the other was deeper, older. The argument wasn't so loud that Smythe could make out the words, but the discussion was obviously heated.

He drew up his shoulders, the urge to protect his mate making his hackles rise. He shrugged Jeffrey's hand off of his shoulder and pushed open the door to his room.

"What's going on in here?" he said, eyes automatically finding Hunter's. His mate looked like he was on the verge of tears, but his head snapped up when he heard Sebastian's voice.

"Is this him?" Sebastian's eyes fell on the other two occupants of his room—a couple which were undoubtedly Hunter's parents. His father was a big man, tall and strapping, and he looked at Sebastian the same way one would a particularly disgusting thing on the bottom of one's shoe.

"Hunter?" The gravity of the situation began to dawn on him then, as he realized that Hunter's mother had his suitcase out and that his things were strewn haphazardly across his bed.

"Answer me, Hunter," the elder Clarington said, turning his steely gaze back on his son.

For all of his impressive height, Hunter all but he shrank under his father's gaze. His eyes fell to the floor. "Smythe, these are my parents, Arthur and Cecilia Clarington," he said. "Father, mother, this is Sebastian Smythe, my…"

"Your _what_?" Arthur grated.

"My roommate." The last word came out in almost a whisper, and Sebastian didn't miss the implication.

"What the hell—?" he tried to get to Hunter (whether to embrace him protectively or to shake some sense into him, he couldn't say), but Mr. Clarington easily blocked his path.

"That's enough, Mr. Smythe," he said, and short of shoving him, Sebastian wasn't going to get past him. "Hunter, we'll just have the school send the rest of your things. We're leaving."

"You're _what?_" Sebastian couldn't fucking believe his ears. "You can't just pull him out of school, it's the middle of term! _Hunter!_"

Hunter met his gaze, a world of hurt swimming in his blue eyes. "Father, can't I just—"

"_Now,_ Hunter." Mr. Clarington's voice rose again, and Hunter bit back whatever he was going to say. He zipped up his half-packed suitcase and hefted it, dragging it out of the room as his mother followed behind. Mr. Clarington made sure to keep his considerable figure between them the entire time, and Sebastian didn't even bother trying to reach for his mate.

Once Hunter was safely out of the door, Mr. Clarington turned his gaze on Sebastian. "Your perverse identification was clearly a _mistake_," he said. "My son's bondmate is female, and he has yet to find her. _Do not_ try to contact him again."

And then he was gone, slamming the door behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. One last chapter to go, whew! Many thanks to all the readers who sent in their comments- you guys are truly my inspiration. 3)

. . .

**SIX.**

The car ride to the airport was spent in total silence.

Hunter's father was at the wheel of the rental, his face cold and impassive. His mother had tried to make small talk earlier, making general inquiries about his schoolwork, but Hunter had brushed her attempts aside.

His mind was still reeling at seeing his father again, and he'd been completely floored at how vehement he'd been about Sebastian. Hunter wasn't an idiot—he'd known that his parents wouldn't have been happy with his mate and that's why he'd originally been so resistant to the idea—but he had no idea that they'd go to such lengths to keep them apart.

Hunter didn't often talk to his parents and so he'd never felt the need to tell them himself, but he was kicking himself for not anticipating that Dalton would've sent them notice of his identification. He may be of age, but he was still in highschool and dependent on his family; obviously, they would have had to send the Claringtons some sort of notification.

Once receiving it and verifying that 'Sebastian Smythe' was indeed male, his parents had apparently dropped everything and flown to Ohio to pull him out of Dalton. Hunter knew that there were some individuals who preferred to deny their mate's existence rather than accept that they were of the same gender, but he didn't realize that his father subscribed to this extreme.

In fact, Hunter had planned on bringing Sebastian home with him during the nearest break and telling them then, and suddenly he was glad that it never came to that. He couldn't even imagine how it would have gone down if his own father had refused them entry into his own home.

Hunter closed his eyes, rubbing at them tiredly. He was exhausted. He felt drained dry of all joy, stretched thin to the point of breaking.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see Sebastian's face, the _look_ in his eyes—the utter panic at realizing that Hunter was going away, that he was _never_ going to be able to see him again.

Bile rose in his throat.

"Stop the car," he said, gagging. "Dad—_stop the car!_"

His father complied immediately when he saw his face, and as soon as they stopped, Hunter was out the door and on his knees, retching into the grass.

Dimly, he registered that his mother was somewhere behind him, rubbing circles on his back. His father had stepped out as well, but he was standing a safe distance away, his face twisting in distaste.

Once Hunter had thrown up everything that there was to throw up, his mother handed him a bottle of water. "Son," she whispered. "Are you all right?"

Hunter shook his head, numbly taking a mouthful of water.

"He's fine," Mr. Clarington said. "It was a mistake, that's all it was. Once we get you back into USAFA, you'll identify on a nice young woman and that will be the end of it."

He cringed. If Sebastian were here he'd no doubt have a scathing retort, but Hunter could come up with nothing himself. Without Sebastian, _he had nothing._

"You didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye." He shut his eyes, trying to force back the tears that were threatening to spill out. He hadn't cried since he was a child, not since he'd skinned his elbow on the playground and his father had told him to 'man up'. _Clarington men don't cry._

He pictured happy things, things that would make him laugh, things that would suppress the welling tears. He hadn't had to do this in years, and he was unsurprised to discover that all these happy images now revolved around Sebastian. He pictured his eyes and the way he smiled, the way he would light up whenever Hunter would walk into a room. No one else had ever looked at him that way. No one else ever _would_.

"Get up, Hunter," his father said impatiently. "You never consummated it, so it'll be easier to break the bond. We've already found a camp that will fix you up, make it so that you'll never think about that Smythe boy again."

"But I don't want to break the bond," Hunter said softly. His mother froze beside him, and he looked up, meeting his father's gaze. "And I don't need fixing."

"Careful, son." His father said, stepping forward until they were toe-to-toe.

Hunter didn't back down, raising his chin to meet his father's gaze. "It was a mistake to leave him," he said. "He's my Omega and I shouldn't have abandoned him."

His father looked absolutely furious, but Hunter went around him to get to the car. He pulled out his suitcase. "I'm going back to Dalton."

"If you walk away from us now, you're not part of this family anymore." His voice brooked no argument, and Hunter knew that there was no turning back.

He took a shaky breath. "Goodbye, dad."

Hunter turned on his heel and started walking back in the direction they'd come from, light-headed at the thought of what he'd done. He heard the car door slam with finality as his father got into their rental.

He was already a considerable distance away before his mother caught up with him, tear tracks down her cheeks. Hunter had never felt so far away from her.

"Son," she said, taking him by the arm. "Is this really what you want?"

Hunter stopped. "Yes," he said. "We've never even been intimate but I… Sebastian is my Omega. No matter what dad says… we _identified_."

His mother nodded, touching his cheek. "Your father is a hard man to love, Hunter. But he cares for you deeply. Just give him time," she whispered. "He'll come around."

Hunter looked away. "I can't spend the rest of my life waiting for that," he said. "I've got a full ride at Dalton. I can graduate without him."

"But you shouldn't have to," his mother said. "I know that I haven't been… that I've never been clear about this before, but _you are my son_. Arthur is my Omega, half of my soul, but _you_ are the best of both of us."

She reached out to embrace him, enveloping him in warmth. "What is ours is still yours," she said. "And I'll make sure that your education is seen to. You may not… you may not be able to come home for a while, but I can make sure of that, at least."

Hunter gave her a watery smile, hugging his mother's small frame. "Thank you."

"I've called you a cab to take you back to the Academy," his mother said, squeezing his hand. "I couldn't convince your father to drive you back."

"I'm amazed he didn't leave you behind for asking," Hunter muttered, and his mother raised a brow.

"He wouldn't dare try," she said, and the steely tone in her voice surprised a chuckle from him.

"Goodbye, mom."

With a last embrace, she headed back to their parked car. Hunter watched them drive off, then put his suitcase on the ground and sat on it, settling in to wait for his cab.

. . .

Sebastian was already shaking by the time he got to the motel, not even bothering to use his fake ID when he checked in. His heat had returned in full force after his encounter with Hunter in the locker room, and he didn't care about being subtle anymore. His mate was gone, his life was fucked, and he couldn't believe he'd been stupid enough to think that Hunter would choose him over… He swiped his arm across his eyes angrily. _God damn it._

"Get it together, Smythe," he said, gritting his teeth. He was fine. He'd done this before and he could do it again, only… What he felt for Hunter now was entirely different from what he'd felt weeks ago.

Sebastian's initial reaction to him had been purely physical—it was chemistry, like he himself had said, and while it had been difficult to fight his _need_ for Hunter, it had not been impossible. Now, however, he felt like someone had taken a scalpel to his chest. His heart _ached_ with every beat, the loss of his mate a palpable, physical pain.

He couldn't deny it; somewhere along the way, between Hunter's stupid smile and his casual thoughtfulness, Sebastian had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

A sob escaped his lips; Smythe choked it back. Hunter was gone. Regardless of what he felt for him, he was gone and Sebastian would just have to go on without him. _He had to._

His overnight bag was in the back of his car, filled haphazardly with clothing that he'd blindly shoved in, and he forced himself to take it out and bring it to his room. His steps were mechanical, going by rote memory more than anything else.

He couldn't stop thinking about Hunter, about the pain he saw in his eyes when he left. He was hurting too, maybe even as much as Sebastian was, and the urge to protect Hunter stayed with him.

"_Stop it_," he growled. "He _left_ you and there's _nothing_ you can do about it."

He caught a glimpse of his face in the bathroom mirror and shuddered inwardly. His eyes were red from crying and he looked like someone had just killed his grandmother. At this rate, no one would want him.

He shook his head, turning on the tap and splashing his face with cold water. He would take care of his heat because that was what was in his power to do. As for his _heart_… he'd deal with that later.

He stared hard at his reflection, trying a smile. He looked like a shadow of his former self, but he was young and good-looking and that would be enough for a place like Scandals.

It had to be.

. . .

By the time Hunter got back to Dalton, it was after dinner and some of the more studious boys had already retired to their rooms. He walked quietly up the stairs, dragging his suitcase down the hall. His heart sped up at the thought of what Sebastian would say when he saw him, of what he would _do_ after Hunter told him what had happened. His cheeks colored.

He'd be lying if he said that he didn't want to be intimate with Smythe right now, but it wasn't just about the sex. He _wanted_ Sebastian in a way that he never had before, he wanted to _claim_ him like all those ridiculous pamphlets had said he would. Maybe it was because they'd delayed consummation of their first heat, or maybe it was because he had actually gotten to know Sebastian by now. Hunter didn't know, and he didn't _care_.

He'd been distracted by his parents before, but now that the danger had passed, he felt weak-kneed at the thought of seeing his bondmate again. All he wanted to do was to sink into his arms and never let go.

As soon as he turned his key in the lock, however, he knew that something was wrong. The room was silent and dark, and Sebastian's overnight bag was missing from the foot of his bed.

Hunter's heartbeat started to speed up as he dropped his suitcase to the floor, staring blindly at his mate's empty bed. _Where was he?_

"…Hunter?" It was Jeff's voice coming from behind him, and Hunter turned to meet his gaze. Nick was hovering at the doorway as well, and both of them had nothing but pity in their eyes.

"Where's Sebastian?" he asked softly, even though he already knew the answer.

"He took off," Jeff said. He stepped into the room hesitantly, laying a cautious hand on Hunter's arm. "He said you weren't coming back, so he… He said he needed to take care of his heat."

Just a handful of weeks ago, Hunter hadn't cared that Sebastian had been off getting laid by half of the town. Today, though… he was very nearly sick again at the thought of someone else touching his mate.

He swallowed hard. "Where does he go to _find_ people?" he asked hoarsely.

Jeff and Nick exchanged a look. "Some gay bar," Sterling said finally. "It's called Scandals. But Hunter, I don't think—"

But whatever he was going to say, Clarington didn't hear the rest of it. He was already out the door and halfway down the hall, intent on finding his mate.

. . .

The man from the bar was tall and good-looking, though not as tall as Hunter and certainly (in Sebastian's mind) _not_ as good-looking. Still, Cooper had been a decent lay the first few times around, and Smythe hoped that he'd remember him.

He needn't have worried; as soon as he tugged on the man's elbow, recognition lit his handsome features.

"Sebastian," Cooper said, turning away from the guy he'd presumably been hitting on. He was leaning against the bar and looked every inch the young actor. Even his beat-up leather jacket looked like it was ready for its next close-up. "You're back."

"Hey," Sebastian said, smiling thinly. "How've you been?" He stepped into Cooper's personal space, effectively cutting off the other guy from the conversation.

"Pretty good," Cooper said, grinning easily. "Shot another commercial, came home to see my little brother. I _was_ having an interesting date with Danny over here… before you so rudely interrupted me."

Sebastian looked down. "Uh, sorry," he said, a note of uncertainty entering his voice. He forced a smile, reaching up to tug at Cooper's collar. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't…" he trailed off, tried again. "Can we go to the backroom? _Now?_"

Cooper blinked, peering into his face. "Sebastian—are you in heat, again?" he asked, frowning. "It's way too soon; this isn't normal, kid."

Smythe shrugged. "Or I could just be that hot for you," he suggested, but his body was radiating heat like a furnace and it all but gave him away. "So… you up for it?"

Cooper frowned, exchanging a look with the guy he'd come with. "This isn't a joke, Sebastian," he said slowly, gently pushing Smythe's hand away from his lapel. "Maybe we should take you to a doctor instead?"

But Sebastian shook his head. "No doctor," he said. Desperation was starting to creep into his voice. "_Please._ I just need to—"

"You need to come home." A voice from behind them said softly, and Smythe froze.

It was Hunter's voice, impossible as it was—his Alpha was _gone_—but he knew that it was his all the same.

"You know this guy?" Cooper asked, but even as the words left his mouth, he knew who the guy had to be.

Sebastian hadn't turned around yet, but his shoulders had sagged with relief. "Hunter," he whispered. "My…"

"Alpha," Clarington finished. He was close enough to touch Sebastian now, all he had to do was _reach_ for him, but he stayed where he was, radiating quiet warmth. "I'm here now... Please let me take you home."

Sebastian bit his lip. "What happened to your parents?" he asked. He was still a handspan away from Cooper, who was doing his best to surreptitiously blend into the bar. His date was watching everything unfold with some small degree of amusement.

"I told them that you were mine," Hunter said simply. "My father… he's not happy and I don't think I'm going to be welcome at home for a while, but… We'll see. It doesn't matter. What matters is that… _I'm sorry_, Sebastian. I know I fucked up when we identified, and I know that I've been fucking up every day for the past month, but I."

He gently pulled Sebastian to him in a reverse of what had happened at the choir room, his arms around his Omega's waist, burying his face in the nape of Sebastian's neck. "I love you," he whispered.

Sebastian let out a choked sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sob. "Love me?" he said incredulously. "You don't even _know_ me." But his hands went on top of Hunter's and he was twisting around in his arms, holding onto his mate for all he was worth.

"I know enough," Hunter said roughly, and then he leaned forward just as Sebastian pulled him in, and then they were kissing in the middle of the shitty bar in Scandals for everyone to see.

Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Kids," he said, and turned back to his date. "So… I don't suppose there's any chance I'm getting any action tonight?"

. . .

It was well after midnight by the time Hunter and Sebastian returned to Dalton, having skipped the motel in favor of their dorm room. It was small and cramped and it was a mess after both boys had gone through a whirlwind of packing, but there was no other place they'd rather be. It was where they'd gotten to know each other. It was where they'd fallen in love.

They walked back to their room with clasped hands and all but collapsed on Sebastian's bed, exhausted.

Their bond pulsed between then, a steady comfort, and Hunter wrapped his arms around his Omega's waist and closed his eyes.

"Welcome home, Sebastian," he murmured, lacing his fingers through his mate's.

And then they slept.


	8. Chapter 8

(A/N: This fic has accompanying images which can be found linked off of my profile page. Thank you so, so much for reading this crazy little fic of mine, everyone! All your kind words are much appreciated; I hope you enjoy the last chapter. 3)

. . .

**SEVEN.**

Sebastian woke up to the sensation of a hand running through his hair. It was an extremely pleasant feeling to wake up to, one that he'd never experienced before, and he hummed a bit and leaned in to the touch.

"You're awake." Sebastian cracked open an eye, a hesitant smile creeping its way onto his face as the events of the night before came trickling back.

"Hunter," he mumbled, shivering at his mate's touch. "You came back…" The hand that was previously carding through his hair had now trailed down to the nape of his neck, tracing sensuous patterns into his skin; Hunter was clearly making up for lost time.

"I'm never leaving you again," Hunter whispered. He was pressed against Sebastian from thigh to chest, and Smythe could feel the line of his mate's cock against the thin cloth of his boxers.

Sebastian bit back a moan. His skin felt hot and he tingled wherever Hunter touched him, and lust burned low in his belly. "Hunt," he whined, reaching out to thumb at the waistband of his mate's boxers. "Want you…"

Hunter chuckled softly, catching his wrist in a gentle grip. _Let me._ "The pamphlets got it wrong, you know," he said conversationally, nuzzling the underside of Sebastian's jaw. "The first heat isn't about the Alpha laying claim to his Omega, even though I'm going to do that."

Sebastian shut his eyes, mesmerized at the feeling of Hunter's hands on his waist, trailing down to his hips. "...it's not?"

"No," Hunter said. His mouth was bare inches away from Sebastian's. "And it's not about submitting to each other through sex. Though we're going to do that, too."

He put his hand on the underside of Sebastian's chin, so very gently, and tilted his face up. "Do you know what the bond is about, Sebastian?" he whispered.

Sebastian shuddered, moaned. "What...?"

Hunter smiled, his gaze hooded and lustful. "It's about the Alpha asking for his Omega's trust," he said. "And his Omega giving it to him."

"So..." Hunter's mouth was near Sebastian's ear now, and his warm breath made him shiver. "The only question is..."

"Do you trust me, Sebastian?"

Smythe nodded wordlessly and, _finally_, their lips met. The kiss was unhurried but full of promise, and they took time exploring each other, _tasting_ each other. It made Sebastian's toes curl and his hips jerk up, and by the time Hunter pulled away, Sebastian was breathing hard and his fingers were digging into his mate's shoulders.

"Off," he muttered, tugging at Hunter's shirt impatiently. "_Please_, Hunt…"

His Alpha complied, leaning back just enough to strip off his undershirt and toss it aside. His boxers came off next, and for a minute Sebastian couldn't speak.

Hunter was… quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The sunlight was streaming in through the window and Sebastian laid his palm on Hunter's chest, right above his heart.

"You're perfect," he said, and Hunter kissed his lips before mouthing at the side of Sebastian's neck. Smythe bit his lip as he did so, moaning as he kissed a path down to his chest and belly, before finally reaching his waist. Hunter looked up long enough to wink at him, before easing his briefs down and licking a wet stripe down his cock.

"_Fuck_," Sebastian hissed, fisting the sheets as he desperately tried not to buck up when Hunter took his cock in his mouth. It was his mate's first time with another man and he really didn't want to mess things up by unintentionally hurting him. But, oh my _god_, the things Clarington could do with his tongue—Sebastian wanted to take back everything he'd said about being with a single person for the rest of his life. If that person was Hunter, then he was completely fucking fine with it.

A strangled shout came from his lips as Hunter suddenly took him in to the hilt, sinking down his length like he was born to do it. All the weeks of holding back—of pulling away when he wanted most to push forward—culminated in this moment, and Sebastian shoved frantically at Hunter's shoulders. His body was whipcord-tense but Hunter wasn't budging; he swirled his tongue just_ so_ and then Smythe was coming harder than he ever had in his entire life.

Clarington didn't pull off the entire time, and his blue eyes never left his mate's face. Sebastian fought to catch his breath, sagging into the sheets as Hunter pressed a kiss against his hip. "Good?" he murmured.

Sebastian snorted. "Better than good," he said, urging Hunter on top of him. He kicked his underwear off (he hadn't even managed to get it all the way off; how _embarrassing_), and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

Hunter's mouth was red and he could taste himself on his tongue. Sebastian grinned, hooking a leg behind his mate's calf and rocking against him, already getting hard once more. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Clarington grinned. "Pamphlets."

. . .

The afternoon sun was already setting by the time Hunter surfaced from the haze of their coupling. He'd spent most of the day drunk on the scent of sex and Sebastian's skin, utterly overwhelmed by instinct. He'd lost track of how many times they'd come, as one encounter had blended into another, and another after _that_, until he didn't know when one orgasm started and another ended.

Hunter exhaled slowly. If this was what going through a heat was _really_ like, it was a small wonder that it only rolled around once a year.

His cheeks reddened as he remembered how good it had felt to be inside Sebastian for the first time, at how _intensely_ he'd come. He wasn't nearly as experienced as his mate in sexual matters, but he was a fast learner and Sebastian seemed to respond to pretty much everything he did.

Hunter ran a hand through his hair, shivering a bit in the cool air. He shifted, carefully slipping out from beneath Sebastian and padded over to his bed to retrieve his blanket. Sebastian's sheets were pretty much destroyed; half of the bedding had been ripped off and his pillows and blankets were on the floor.

He carefully tucked his blanket around Sebastian's sleeping frame and went to their bathroom, turning the shower on as hot as it would go. The room filled with steam quickly as Hunter stepped under the spray, enjoying the sting of heat against his skin.

Water trailed in rivulets down his back and between his thighs, washing away the evidence of the day's excursions. In spite of himself, he blushed. Being with Sebastian like this was better than he could've ever imagined, and there had been a moment during the third (or was it the fourth?) time they'd made love that Sebastian had promised to show him just how good it felt to have someone inside of him.

His mate had pushed him to the bed and ridden him shortly after that, and Hunter's brain had promptly stopped working. But now… now he was in the shower and was rapidly becoming aroused at the thought of having his Omega inside of him.

"Fuck…" he moaned. Now that he'd started thinking about it, he couldn't stop. He took himself in hand, wrapping his fingers around his length and jacking his cock slowly, just the way he liked. "Sebastian…"

"You called?" A voice behind him purred, and Hunter's eyes jerked open as his mate stepped into the cramped space behind him.

"I—I thought you were sleeping." Hunter gasped as Sebastian wrapped his fingers on top of his, mirroring his motions.

"I was, but I woke up when you turned on the shower," Smythe said. "I have to admit, I'm hurt that you didn't ask me to join you…" He punctuated the statement by nipping playfully at Hunter's shoulder.

"Sorry," Clarington mumbled, shivering as Sebastian's free hand trailed over his rear, gently squeezing a cheek before slipping between. "_F-fuck_, Seb-!"

"I made you a promise earlier, didn't I?" Sebastian said, grinning mischievously as his middle finger pressed gently against Hunter's slick entrance. "Something about… showing you how good it feels to _bottom_?"

Hunter tensed a bit at the word, but he couldn't help the flush of excitement that stained his cheeks. "You did mention something to that effect..." he mumbled.

"Relax, baby," Smythe whispered. He kept his other hand busy, keeping up the rhythm on Hunter's cock, taking his time at pushing his fingers inside him.

Hunter complied, dazed at the thought, a moan escaping his lips as he struggled to keep his balance. He felt light-headed from the hot water; Sebastian pressed a kiss against his nape before sucking on the side of his neck. It was going to leave a mark, but Hunter couldn't bring himself to care.

"Brace your hands on the wall," Sebastian said, before releasing Hunter's cock. He didn't even have space to breathe a question before he felt Sebastian taking a knee on the wet tiles behind him, the fingers inside of him never halting their maddening stroking.

By the time Hunter's brain had caught up to what was happening, Sebastian's _mouth_ had already replaced his fingers, and Clarington really _did_ need to brace himself against the tiles.

"_Sebastian-!_" he bit off a shout as his mate pushed his tongue against his entrance, licking and sucking at the pucker before pushing his tongue inside of him. It was nothing short of a miracle that Clarington didn't come on the spot at that; he was so turned on that he could barely see straight.

His cock was heavy and impossibly hard between his legs and Hunter held onto the tiles for dear life, trying desperately not to slip and break his neck. Sebastian's mouth was every bit as talented as the rest of him, however, and as soon as he reached around to grip Hunter's cock once more, Clarington was shuddering his release into the drain.

He reached for the tap with a shaky hand, shutting it off as Sebastian got to his feet, smiling a Cheshire grin. "Come on," he said, taking him by the hand and leading him back to the bed.

They left damp footprints on the carpet as Hunter trailed behind him in a daze, laying down as Sebastian urged him gently on his back. His body felt over-sensitized from the heat and the last vestiges of his orgasm, and when Sebastian's fingers returned slick with lube, he was already half-hard again.

"_Hunter,_" Sebastian growled, no less affected by the heat _burning_ between them. His pupils were dilated and his skin was flushed, and when he positioned himself against Hunter's entrance, they both moaned. "_Fuck,_ you feel so good…"

Hunter threw his head back, exposing the column of his throat as Sebastian pushed inside, the blunt head of his cock stretching him so fucking _wide_. It _hurt_, even after everything Sebastian had done, but it was a delicious sort of pain, the kind that made electricity dance across his skin.

Sebastian leaned down and kissed his lashes, licking at the moisture on his cheeks. His hands were gripping his wrists and his cock was filling him up, and Hunter had never felt so truly complete in his entire life. They belonged to each other, they'd claimed each other, and Sebastian was the Omega to his Alpha… the other half of his soul.

"I love you," Sebastian whispered against his mouth as he pushed into him, each thrust expelling a ragged breath from them both. It was the first time he'd ever said the words; Hunter knew it wouldn't be the last. He tilted his head up and kissed him, tongue tangling with his as he wrapped his legs around his mate, lifting his hips to meet Sebastian's thrusts.

He didn't last long—he couldn't—and when Hunter came he could feel his orgasm from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair. It didn't take long after for Sebastian to come as well, spending himself deep inside of Hunter, his cock pulsing as he shuddered through the aftershocks.

Sebastian sagged on top of him as Hunter wrapped his arms around him tightly, claiming his mouth in a lingering kiss. "You're amazing," he said, and the Omega smiled tiredly.

"Think that was the last of it?" he asked, propping his chin against his hand. It was already dinner time and they'd pretty much spent the entire day having sex. It was like Christmas came early.

Hunter shrugged. "Maybe," he said. "Heats are supposed to last a week on average, but since we technically already had ours over a month ago… I'm not sure how long this is going to last."

"Well, there's always one way to find out," Sebastian said, suggestively trailing his fingers down Hunter's abdomen. His mate was already half-hard by the time his hand reached his cock.

They both stared.

"Guess not," Hunter said mildly, before gripping Sebastian's hips and rolling him over so that their positions were reversed.

"What a pity," Sebastian said, and smirked as he wrapped his long legs around his mate's waist.

It looked like it was going to be a hell of a week.

. . .

**EPILOGUE.**

When neither Hunter nor Sebastian made an appearance at the mess hall during breakfast or lunch, it became pretty clear that they'd finally gotten started on their long-delayed first heat. Jeff and Nick took it upon themselves to file the notice at the doctor's office, assuring them that their initial try at it hadn't quite taken because they'd refused to have sex with each other. They'd pretty much ensured that the pair would be submitted to a severe lecture from the erstwhile doctor after they surfaced, but it was better than having healthcare experts burst in on them and cart them off to the hospital right now.

"They'll thank us afterwards," Jeff said confidently, and Nick shrugged.

"Regardless, I'm sure Sebastian will have his hands full with Coach Andrews," he said. "He's going to have a fit when he finds out his captain is missing yet another practice."

They passed by the door to Hunter and Sebastian's room, where barely concealed moaning could be heard through the door.

Nick rolled his eyes. "Sounds like they're having a good time," he said, and Jeff grinned.

"Speaking of having a good time," he began, slipping his hand into Nick's. "I seem to remember a wager being made on account of when Sebastian and Hunter would finally give it up."

Nick beamed. "And it looks like I won it," he said smugly.

"I guess you get whatever you want tonight, Nicky," Jeff agreed calmly, leaning over to drop a kiss on his bondmate's head.

Duval blushed. He was never able to resist Jeff's advances, and to be truly honest, he never felt much like trying.

"I guess I will," Nick replied, pretending to turn away. "I'll see you after I meet my study group in the library, then…"

Jeff, predictably, caught his hand. "Why wait?" He grinned and pulled a laughing Nick down the hallway.

Being bonded was _great_.

#


End file.
